Matricaria discoidea

Pineapple weed, rayless chamomile, Rayless Chamomile

Family: Asteraceae · Type: annual · Native

Pineapple weed is a native annual found in California's Central Valley, Sierra Nevada eastern foothills, and western Mojave Desert in disturbed sites and along riverbanks at elevations below 2,250 meters. Flowering from February to August, this plant produces small conical flower heads without ray flowers, approximately one centimeter in diameter. Growing with sweet-scented stems 10 to 30 centimeters tall, typically branched from the base, it develops a compact and spreading form. Its leaves are glabrous, sessile, and less than 5 centimeters long, creating a delicate green backdrop for the unique flower heads. The fruit features narrow brown glands extending down its surface, with a truncate tip and no prominent pappus.

Habitat: Abundant. Disturbed sites, riverbanks

Bloom period: Feb-Aug

Elevation: < 2250 m

Bioregions: CA-FP, SNE, w DMoj

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.